Review Summary: Are we alive?
Right off the bat,
We Rule The Night just feels different. I don’t mean slightly different, I mean worlds apart from the previous Sonic Syndicate record. Gone is the logo (which is admittedly pretty cool), gone is the gothic-styled artwork, in is a rather boring logo and rather boring crescent moon. But, one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, so let’s really get into the album.
It’s no secret that
Love And Other Disasters was the last SS album with all of the original members and may very well be their best. It showed stylistic maturity and that the band still had some tricks up their sleeves three albums in. Oh, and it also contained possibly the best SS album opener in the form of “Encaged”. “Beauty And The Freak” opens with swirling electronics, a Drop C octave riff, and a rousing scream. It’s very much toned down from “Encaged” or even “Aftermath”, and carries an alternative/nu metal feel. And at first, the song doesn’t seem like it’s gonna work, but after a few listens, it really grows on you. New singer Biggs puts forth some pretty killer pipes, both guitarists show off more than just chugging/technical riffing, and even the electronics are more varied.Though some of the screams could’ve been a little cleaned up, it’s a great and promising opener. “Revolution, Baby” features a pummeling, pulsating Drop C guitar riff, some hardcore-styled harsh vocals from Biggs (as opposed to the straightforward screams of his counterpart), and just an overall fun vibe. “Burn This City” (despite the Monster Energy Drink ad for a music video) is an album highlight, with an anthemic chorus, spidery synths, both chugging and riffing from the guitars, and even some cool drums. The lyrics are admittedly a little awkward, but more on that later. Final track “We Rule The Night” changes it up a little with a four-on-the-floor beat that backs up a pump-up chorus, heart-pounding synths, chugging guitars, and chaotic screams.
But no review of this album would be complete without party-metal track “Turn It Up.” What to say here…. Hmmmm. It’s the perfect pop song, yes, but these guys aren’t a pop band. So while the chorus melody and corresponding guitar riff may stick in your head for a little while, the lyrics are so Nickelback-esque it’s embarrassing and just plain unbearable. Seriously, “you hit the dance floor with your grind and set me out of my mind.” And while one could argue parts of this are satire, there’s way too many lines glorifying and encouraging this type of behavior. Ultimately it’s pretty freaking bad. And the music video may as well be softcore porn made by drunk mid-twenty somethings (oh…. wait).
Speaking of lyrics, it’s no secret Sonic have never been poets (though segments of
Eden Fire were pretty well-written), but anybody can do better than this. Whether it’s “when we walk these streets together, they’re paved with gold”, “destiny meets your advice”, or classic gem “after sunlight, I turn to stone”, yeah someone fell way down on the job here.
Speaking of falling down on the job, the aforementioned standouts carry the album entirely on their own: everything else is boring filler that just drags the album down, and this is coming from someone who really enjoys alternative/nu metal. So no, this isn’t as bad as many would have you believe, but it’s a major step down from
Love And Other Disasters.
